Mophead



Jam, 31, W39,

C G. WATSON MOPHEAD Original Filed Feb. 11, 1937 Patented Jan. 31, 1939UNITED STATES 2,145,536 MOPHEAD Claude Gqodin Watson, Oakland, Calif.

Application February 11, 1937, Serial No. 125,313

1 Renewed December 2,1938

1 Claim. mils-411 This invention relates to mops and more particularlyimprovements in mops with roller wringer heads of the same general typeas disclosed in Patent 2,029,235. I v

The first object of my invention is toprovide means for separating therollers to facilitate removal and replacement of the mop swab.

The second object of my invention is to provide means to vary andregulate the pressure of the wringer rolls on the mop swab incombination with the roller separating means.

A third object is toprovide an improved means for securing the rollerswithin the mop head frame.

Further objects and advantages of my invention are more apparent fromthe accompanying drawing and description wherein like characters ofreference are used to designate similar parts throughout thespecification.

Figure l is a front view of a mop embodying my invention partly in crosssection.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross section view taken on line 3-3 of Figure l.

Referring in detail to the drawing number I is a mop handle to which isattached a mop head frame 59. The frame 59 includes a mop swab engagingstrip 5!, side strips 52 and 53, and a handle engaging strip 54. Thestrip 54 has portions 55 and 55 embracing an end of the handle 5 and abolt 57 extending through the portions 55 and 55 and the handle I,whereby the handle is secured to the frame 59. The strip 54 has weldedor brazed to its concave inner surface a strip 54, adapted to strengthenthe mop frame at this point and to give suflicient thickness to theotherwise thin strip 54, for threaded bores into which set screws 63 and64 are threaded. The sides 52 and 53 are each pressed outwardlylongitudinally to form elongated grooves 58 and 59, into which extendsthe roller spindle 60 of the movable roller 23. The grooves 58 and 59strengthen the said sides and are sufficiently elongated to permit themovable roller spindle 69 to slide within it and carry the movableroller 23 away from the non-sliding roller 24 when yoke 52 is movedtoward the handle I by means of set screws 53 and 64 and theirinterconnecting parts, hereinafter to be described. The roller 24 isfixed against sliding movement within the grooves 58 and 59, the spindle6| of said roller being journaled within openings 65 formed in an end ofeach of the grooves 58 and 59. The purpose of separating the rollers isto permit ready removal and replacement of the mop swab withoutdisassembly and without the need of any extraneous levers, cranks, etc.

Set screws 63 and '64 are identical in construction and are threadedinto handle engaging bar 54 near each end thereof. They include a flathead 66 for a thumb and finger grip, an elongated threaded shank 61 anda reduced unthreaded tip 68. The tip 68 extends through the mid-sectionof a short spring equalizer bar 69 and is held in connection with thesaid equalizer bar by a pin 19.

Extending upwardly from yoke 62 and suitably fixed thereto, through eachend of equalizer bar 69 arerods H and 12, which rods are in slidingengagement with the equalizer bar 59 and. said rods are provided withkeeper pins Ha and 12a, similar to pin 19, but on the opposite side ofbar 69.

Around each rod H and 12 are coil springs 13 and I4 with one end of thecoil resting against the equalizer bar 69 and the other end againstmovable yoke 62, which carries the movable roller 23 by means of arms62a and 62b, through which the spindle 60 extends into the grooves 58and 59.

The rollers 23 and 24 are of rubber, the spindles around which they aremounted extending throughout their length and through openings in theyoke arms 62a and 62b into grooves 58 and 59. This means of securing therollers in the mop frame 59 is a decided improvement over the prior art,as it eliminates bolts and nuts and the need for cutting threads all ofwhich increase the cost of manufacture and complicate the device for thehousewife.

The equalizer bars, one of which has hereinbefore been described, areadjustable on the rod H and 12 to stationary positions by means of thesaid set screws and by such adjustment not only may the rollers beseparated, but the compression of the springs may be varied to increaseor decrease the pressure of the rollers on the mop swab as the thicknessof the swab fabric may warrant or according to the extent of thewringing action desired and the strength of the user.

To further improve the working efficiency and to prevent scratching thefloor, I have provided a rubber shell or tire 15 adapted to be securedto the strip 5| of frame 50. The frame 50 has small lugs 50a and 50badapted to engage with corresponding openings in the rubber shell 15.

The mop swab 2| is engaged between the rollers 23 and 24 and is pulledback and forth between the rollers for the wringing operation byfasteners 6, fully described in Patent 2,029,235. Each fastener 6 issecured to slides 2 and 3 and the said slides are mounted on flat metalguide strips l secured on opposite sides of the handle in any suitablemanner as by screws 16. As the fasteners, slides and guide strips arenot the specific subject matter of this invention a detailed descriptionthereof is not necessary, other than to say that each guide strip Illcarries one slide and fastener, as in Figure 3; said fastener being inengagement with the hem 20 of mop swab 2|.

The operation of the improved features is quite apparent, the mop isrested against a table and the set screws are turned to thread theshanks in or out as desired. If threaded to the left the roller 23 israised in the grooves and the swab is easily detached from the head orif the set screws are turned to the right the pressure of the top rolleris increased and the spring compression varied. The compression of thesprings is of course changed due to the fact that the equalizer barslides up and down on the rods H and I2 to increase or decrease springcompression.

While certain features of the present invention are more or lessspecifically described, I wish it understood that various changes may beresorted to within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A mop head including a substantially U-shaped frame having guide groovesin each leg portion thereof, resilient rollers, spindle shafts for eachroller, one of said spindle shafts being fixedly journaled adjacent theouter end of said leg portions and the other spindle being journalled insliding engagement within the said guide grooves, a yoke member withinthe frame connected at each end thereof to the sliding spindle, rodsextending from the said yoke member substantially parallel to the legportions of said frame, coiled compression springs on the said rods,sliding equalizer bars on the said rods contacting the said springs,stop means on the free end of each rod adapted to confine the saidequalizer bars on said rods, and screw threaded means locatedsubstantially adjacent each end of said shafts and connected with saidframe and said equalizer bars; whereby when said means are threaded inone direction the equalizer bars engage the said springs to move theroller carried by the yoke into engagement with a mop swab between therollers, further movement of said means then compressing said-springs toapply resilient pressure; and when threaded in the opposite directionslide the equalizer bars along said rods into engagement with said stopmeans, continued movement of said means then moving the yoke and theroller carried thereby to positively separate said wringer rolls tofacilitate removal or replacement of a mop swab.

CLAUDE GOODIN WATSON.

